Preparing

A Short Expository Sermon

An introduction
to
Expository Preaching
emphasising
The Importance of Analysis
*
PCJB
PP Presentation
devised and prepared
at
Gujranwala Theological Seminary
may be copied for non-commercial use only
June 2005
 Preparing
A Short Expository Sermon

Two parts to any

Expository Preaching:

Part 1: (In the Study) Preparation

Part 2: (In the Pulpit) Exposition
 Part 1
PREPARATION
(In the Study)

The steps involved

in
preparing
An Expository Sermon
 Preparation for the Sermon
Pray for GOD to SPEAK to YOU first!
• Note the Kind of Writing (The GENRE)
• List the Units of Thought (The basic IDEAS)
• Observe the STRUCTURE of the Passage
• Analyse the CONTENT of the Passage
• Decide the over-all SUBJECT of the Passage
• Identify the TEACHING about the over-all Subject
• Check the CONTEXT of the Passage
• Expose the original HEART-BEAT of the Passage
(the core message)
• Apply the Heart-Beat (The LESSON for us)
 Example

Exposition of
Luke 2:39-40
 Luke 2:39-40
When they had finished everything
required by the law of the Lord, they
returned to Galilee, to their own town
of Nazareth. The child grew and
became strong, filled with wisdom;
and the favour of God was upon him.
Preparation for the Sermon
Step 1
Note
The Kind of Literature
(The GENRE):
The Style / Form of Writing
used by the writer)
 Luke 2:39-40
GENRE
(Literary nature of the Text)

Gospel Narrative

Note: “Gospel“ because the writer includes

interpretative remarks in the narrative
that point to why the narrative is Good News!
 Preparation for the Sermon
Step 2
List
The Units
of
THOUGHT
(Each Sentence/Clause/Phrase
that gives additional meaning)
 Luke 2:39-40
When they had finished everything
required by the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew
and became strong,
filled with wisdom;
and the favour of God was upon him.
 Preparation for the Sermon
Step 3
Observe
THE STRUCTURE
of the Passage:

Its Shape – showing:

the relationship of different parts
 Step 3

Rewrite the passage to show

THE SHAPE
of its structure,
using:
– one line for each unit of thought
– indention to relate each unit
When they had finished everything
required

by the law of the

Lord,

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong,

filled with wisdom;

and the favour of God was upon him.

Preparation for the Sermon
Step 4
Analyse
the CONTENT
of the Passage
Topics including:
• People involved
• Activities / Events
• Ideas / Principles
Step 4:1 Content: people

About WHOM
does this passage speak?
When they had finished everything required
(Mary and Joseph)
by the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong,
(Jesus)
filled with wisdom;
and the favour of God was upon him.
The People In This Passage

• Mary and Joseph (“they“)

• Jesus (“the child“)
• God
Step 4:2 Content: action

What is HAPPENING?
(The Events / Activities)
Step 4:3 Who is doing what?

Analyze the passage

by bringing together
• the persons involved
and
• their actions
When they had finished everything required

by the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong,

filled with wisdom;

and the favour of God was upon him.

Activities & Happenings

• Doing what the Law

required
• Returning home from
Jerusalem
• A child growing
Step 4:4 Content: ideas

What are
The MAIN TOPICS?
When they had finished everything required
(Mary and Joseph)
by the law of the Lord,
they returned to Galilee,
to their own town of Nazareth.
The child grew and became strong,
(Jesus)
filled with wisdom;
and the favour of God was upon him.
 The Main Topics
• The Law’s requirements
• Returning Home
• A child’s development
• God’s blessing
 Note the Overlap
There may be
considerable overlap
in the answers
The questions are there to help us
observe as much as possible of
what the text is saying
 Preparation for the Sermon
Step 5

Decide
the over-all SUBJECT
of the Passage

• This subject should cover all the topics

dealt with in the passage
The Over-all Subject
• Mary and Joseph?
• Jesus?
• God ?
All put together
=
The Family
of
Jesus
 Preparation for the Sermon
Step 6

Identify
the TEACHING
about the over-all Subject
Select related teaching only
(Not all teaching to be found in the passage!)
 Teaching about the Subject

What does this tell us about

the overall subject –
The Family
of
Jesus ?
When they had finished everything required

by the law of the Lord,

they returned to Galilee,

to their own town of Nazareth.

The child grew and became strong,

filled with wisdom;

and the favour of God was upon him.

Teaching about the Family of Jesus

• They lived according to God’s

Law.
• They put God’s business
before their own business.
• As a result God blessed them.
Preparation for the Sermon
Step 7

Check
the CONTEXT
of the Passage
 CONTEXT
Context may refer to several things:

• The literary context of the passage

– The verses before and after
– The book in which it occurs
– The total writings of the author
 CONTEXT
Context may refer to:

• The canonical context

(The context of the whole of Scripture)

This answers the question:

• Is my interpretation of the passage
consistent with Biblical teaching?
 CONTEXT
Context may refer to:

• The historical, cultural and geographical

context
The background of the time and place
in which the passage was written (or to
which it refers)
Fuller Exegesis of the Passage
Asking the Questions:
Who?
What?
Where?
When?
Why?
How?
 Asking the Questions:
Who? (already covered):
– Mary & Joseph,
– Jesus
– God
What? (already covered):
– completing the requirements of the Law
– returning home
– growing up
– God blessing
 Asking the Questions:
Where?
– In the Temble at Jerusalem
– To Galilee and their own town of
Nazareth
When?
– Returned after first doing all that the
law of the Lord required
 Asking the Questions:

Why?

How?
Exegete Verse 39 Background and Context

What did the Law of the Lord require of

them?
b) That Mary purify herself by offering two
sacrifices in the Temple
c) That Mary make a payment for the birth
of her first-born (a reminder of Israel’s
redemption from Egypt)
 Lev 12 required that
a Jewish woman who gave birth to a son
should forty days after the birth
go to Jerusalem
and offer
for the purposes of ritual purification
two sacrifices in the temple.
 In the case of a firstborn son
there was also a requirement
that he be acknowledged as
belonging to the Lord in a special way
(Exod 13:2, 12, 15).
In fact the child had to be redeemed
by the payment of
a fee
of five shekels (Num 18:15–16).
Though this payment could be made
anywhere in the land,
the ideal was to present the child
at the temple
(Neh 10:35–36).
And when this was done,
the purification and presentation
would be done together
 To use two turtledoves
or young pigeons
for the sacrifice
instead of
the usual lamb and one turtledove or pigeon
was actually a concession for poor folk
(Lev 12:8).[1]
[1]Nolland, John, Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 35a: Luke 1:1-9:20, (Dallas,
Texas: Word Books, Publisher) 1998.
Preparation for the Sermon
Step 8

Expose
the original HEART-BEAT
(the Core Message)
of the Passage
 Step 8

In your own words

what is the central message
of the passage
- its “heart-beat“?
The Heart-Beat of the Passage

Making obedience to God‘s law

a family priority
precedes God‘s blessing
Preparation for the Sermon
Step 9

Apply the Heart-Beat

(the lesson
of this passage
for us today)
 Step 9
Apply
the “heart-beat”
i.e.
Turn
the original Core Message
into
the LESSON for us today
 Application

We too must put

God’s business
before our own.
~ with relevant family examples -
Etc.
 Summary of Part 1 : Preparation
1. Note the Kind of Writing (The GENRE)
2. List the Units of Thought (The basic IDEAS)
3. Analyse the STRUCTURE of The Passage
• Its Shape (showing relationships of different parts)
• Its Repetitions (suggesting significances /emphasis)
4. Analyse the CONTENT of the Passage
• People involved
• Actions
• Ideas / Topics
• Find the over-all SUBJECT of the Passage
• Identify the TEACHING about this over-all Subject
• Expose the original HEART-BEAT of the Passage
• Apply the Heart-Beat (The LESSON for us today)
 Summary of Part 1 : Preparation
A fuller version would include:
• Study of significant WORDS in the text
• Study of CONTEXT
using Bible Dictionaries /
Commentaries, etc