The Body of an Expository Sermon

The point: Ensure that after your sermon, ordinary, intelligent listeners can explain the meaning of the expounded passage to others.

The analogy of a bud opening into a flower illustrates that explication brings out what is already contained within the text, rather than importing external ideas.

We ought to have as our goal an explication of the passage which constitutes the text for that particular sermon. An explication of the passage which constitutes the text for that particular sermon. As with the textual sermon, the words and ideas of a given segment of the word of God should be unpacked and opened up. Now when the bud opens up and becomes the flower, nothing is imported from the outside.

5:09 - 5:46 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that after your sermon, ordinary, intelligent listeners can explain the meaning of the expounded passage to others.

The analogy of unwrapping a gift reinforces that explication is about revealing what is already present in the text, not adding new content.

That which was self-contained in the bud is simply now brought out into its full and visible expression in the flower. When someone hands you a wrapped gift and you untie the ribbon, tear off the outer covering, and open up the box and take away the packing paper or protective things around the gift, you are not bringing anything into the box. You are simply untying, unwrapping, unpacking what was already there. And so the goal that you must envision with respect to the discussion of an expository sermon is an explication of the passage which constitutes your text for that particular sermon. A...

5:47 - 6:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure that after your sermon, ordinary, intelligent listeners can explain the meaning of the expounded passage to others.

The metaphor of an inverted pyramid describes expositors who feel they must bring the 'whole body of divine revelation' to bear on every text, suggesting this is an unnecessary burden.

Some expositors expound every text as though it were an inverted pyramid.

7:01 - 7:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Work diligently to develop the skill of connecting a given text to the larger argument of the book, as it is not innate.

McLaren's analogy of a procession heralding a king illustrates how Paul's letter gradually builds up to the central theme of Christ, showing the skillful transition in an epistle.

How gradually and surely the sentences, like some hovering winged things, circle more and more closely round to the central light till in the last words they touch it, the sun of his love. It is like some long procession heralding a king. They that go before cry Hosanna and point to him who comes last and chief. The affectionate greetings with which he began the letter, now he's judiciously reviewing and taking you back to the beginning, you see, pass into prayer.

15:09 - 15:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Ensure the prophetic element is present in your preaching, intruding God's law and covenant implications into the world of your hearers.

The prophet's role as a 'nuisance' intruding God's law into people's lives illustrates the necessary prophetic element of preaching, which applies truth to conscience.

Now brethren, it is this part of preaching that constitutes this prophetic element. You see, the prophet was always there a nuisance to the people of God because he was intruding into their world with the pressure of God's law and the implications of God's covenant. And when the people of God and when the people of God and when the people of God and when the people of God and when the people of God and when the people of God forgot the demands of the law within the framework of covenantal relationship to God the prophet was there as a goad in their side to remind them here are the implications...

21:28 - 22:12 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Intermediate steps include reducing materials to natural divisions and wisely arranging and working those divisions. Concluding steps involve working in illustrations…

The analogy of not putting roof materials in the foundation emphasizes the importance of wisely arranging sermon divisions, ensuring each part serves its proper function.

Yes. Well, you must reduce the materials then, brethren, to their natural divisions and then secondly you must wisely arrange the divisions. And here again I simply remind you of that analogy. Don't put roof materials in the foundation.

48:30 - 48:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Expose your mind to a variety of good models of expository preaching from time-proven literature and God-owned contemporary ministries.

Pastor Chantry's consistent expository preaching through Romans and Isaiah, including his ability to cover multiple chapters or focus on a few verses, is presented as a contemporary model for balancing density and pace.

All right brethren let's pick up now where we left off. I suggested that I would bring or not suggested announce that I would bring in this concluding section some miscellaneous suggestions a potpourri P-O-T P-O-U-R-R-I of miscellaneous suggestions not a potpourri P-O-P-E-R-Y the exercise of papal authority. Now to show that I'm not a pope and that I do not speak with infallibility one of the brethren reminded me that there are a couple of other principles that I should have given you under that first elementary step wisely selecting the boundaries of your text and he mentioned two more that h...

52:11 - 53:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Never forget that the major benefits of expository preaching are cumulative and long-range, even if immediate enthusiastic responses are less frequent.

The story of an apprentice mason learning to handle a trowel illustrates that initial failures and rigors in expository preaching are normal and should not lead to quitting, as skill develops with practice.

you believe realistically from the word of God and proven principles and you can get discouraged but don't quit because of the rigors or because of your failures it's like an apprentice the first time he picks up that trowel and tries to get the mud on the end of it I mean he just gets it all over his arm all over everything and well if he quits and says I can never be a mason he's never going to learn now it's discouraging if he's worked alongside a real mechanic I can remember watching my boss when he'd take that trowel full of mud and go down the whole row of blocks and never drop a you kno...

71:22 - 72:51 Read in full sermon