Script

(BTW this is not a word-for-word transcript of the film. These are the notes from which I speak as I do a recording so expect a few surprises!)

Hello and welcome back to our masterclass

My name is Ian White and right now we’re going to take our next step towards crafting a sermon.

We’re likening the crafting of a sermon to creating a bridge

(here’s our bridge)

On one side we have between the world of the Bible and on the other we have the world of today

So far we’ve considered how to get into a passage of the Bible by reading and praying through the passage

• We’ve thought about about how important it is to grasp the context of the text we’re preaching

• and considered some useful ways of getting to grips with the content of our passage

In this film I want to talk about how I go about determining the structure of a passage that will, eventually, help us put some framework on to the sermon we’re going to preach or the talk we’re going to give.

Now, as will all of the insights in the masterclass, you may have your own way of doing this; especially if you’re a regular preacher.

I’d really like to hear about it in the comments section below so we can share our journey together.

So let’s assume that you’ve got a passage from the bible you’re gong to preach from

• you’ve done slog of getting to grips with the content

• now a next step

How to identify a framework

Most passages of the Bible have some sort of a framework which I often think of as a skeleton.

The human body unable to function in any meaningful sense without a skeleton (too obvious!)

But within the human skeleton there are some bones that are large and structural (legs, arms and spine)

• while others are small but still essential to our functioning effectively (like the bones of the inner ear)

Similarly a sermon without a framework leaves your listeners without a clear direction. And they may end up feeling confused. (or just bored)

The Bible’s text itself often gives us useful skeletal structure from which we can hear, and communicate, God’s word to our audience or congregation.

Ask structural questions

So what might structural questions look like?

Here are the

What does the grammar tell me?

Where are the full stops and commas – these are the natural dividing lines.

Of course, they were inserted by translators in English versions.

But they help to identify the flow of the argument,

• the way points in a story or

• the pictures in a poem

Are there repeated words or phrases?

Sometimes there are key words or ideas that pop into the text and were put there for us to notice.

In a previous segment I encouraged you to look at Philippians 1:3-5 which is a good example of this

The word ‘all’ or the concept of everything occurs repeatedly here

Here’s the text

I thank my God every time I remember you. 4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,

And now let’s highlight the concept of ‘all’ or ‘everything’

John 17:20-26 – ‘One’ is repeated, so is ‘glory’

Each has a slightly different emphasis – preach that!

Are there pictures?

Word pictures are powerful because they don’t give us all the details –

they can evoke an image in our minds – and everyone’s image is slightly different.

• If you asked a room full of people to do a doodle of the good Samaritan, every image would be different.

• If I asked you to draw Eve being tempted by the snake, every one different

• If I asked you to draw Peter denying Jesus, every picture would be different.

• The important thing is that every picture would have some of the same elements, but out mind create the rest.

Using word pictures and graphics on a screen can powerfully help our hearers to appreciate what God is saying.

This is particularly the case when we’re preaching from the Bible’s poetry, like the psalms for example.

• Psalm 19:1-6 Pictures of God’s glory seen in nature

• Psalm 32: – Pictures of what it’s like to have a guilty conscience

• Isaiah 40:18-31 Pictures of an idol nearly toppling, grasshoppers, litter blowing in the wind,

These word pictures often suggest contemporary illustrations

I find myself using the word ‘imagine’ a lot!

Is there a list of items?

Lists help us communicate a big message by breaking it down into component parts. Examples:

• Gal 5:22 – the fruit of the spirit. Each one is evidence of someone filled with the Spirit and stands in opposition to the ‘works of the flesh’.

• Ephesians 6:10-18 – the parts of the armour of God. Each one helps us combat the arrows of Satan

• Psalm 19:7-11 pictures of the effects of God’s word

Is there a question with several answers?

Examples:

1 Kings 19:9 & :13 Elijah is in Horeb and God asks him “Why are you here?”.

If we look at the narrative we’d see that God had told Elijah to travel to Horeb. So the blunt answer is “Well, you told me to come here”

First time God says “stay here and watch what will happen. Second time God says “God back the way you came”

• retrace your steps to rediscover your life’s purpose

Malachi 1:3, 2:17, 3:8 God’s challenges to the people of Israel.

Is there a story with events in the narrative?

Every story has a narrative arc – and that can provide a structure.

Elijah conflict with the prophets of Baal is a good example. You might like to read it and identify the way points in the narrative.

Here’s an example the often intrigues me:

Luke 15 – Interesting because it’s headed as a single parable (not three parables)

Jesus tells the same story in three ways

• Something precious is lost (sheep, coin, son)

• The owner goes to great lengths to find it

• The owner behaves stupidly! (shepherd leaves the 99, the woman throws a party which costs more than the value of the coin, The Father sacrifices his dignity by running (never done in middle east culture)

• why do they do this – because of the joy that finding the item is going to bring them. This one valueless item is being elevated to being precious beyond words!

• (the wayward sheep, in comparison to the flock) the single coin (in comparison to all the other money in the house) and the wayward son (who would, in ancient cultures, be regarded as dead because he opted out of the family and squandered its assets other

• There is great rejoicing when the thing is found

• But there’s a sting in the tail. The older brother doesn’t rejoice. The Pharisees, listening to Jesus would identify themselves with the older brother.

Another example for you to play with? Jonah 1

• what are the staging posts in the story.

• Look out for the word ‘down’ which repeats itself.

Is there a pair of opposites?

Examples

• Matthew 5:21, :27 :31 :33 :38 :43 “You have heard it said … but I say to you …”

• Matt 7:24-27 Parable of the wise and foolish builder

• Matt 6:19 – Don’t store stuff here – store it in heaven!

Is there an idea being extended / developed?

Examples:

John 15: Fruit → more fruit → much fruit

There are other structures!

So long as it’s clear from the text we are safe to use it.

Conclusion

We are looking for the structure of the text.

Quite often I find the structure of the text will lead to a useful structure for my sermon. But I don’t feel that it always must.

This bridge method is only one of many methods we could use for preaching. (Others are Topical, preaching @ special occasions for example)

But this method (in my view)

• feeds God’s people the best food

• challenges us as preachers to tackle parts of the Bible we would otherwise ignore

• gives a better rounded spiritual diet to people to live for Christ.

So enjoy playing with some of the examples I’ve given you – and you might want to come back to me with some others!