FORMAT FOR DEVOTIONAL SERMONS
DEFINITION - A devotional sermon is designed to warm the heart, inspire to action, and remind people of the sacred truths of scripture. These messages generally stress inspiration and application.
1. Title - Love conquers all.
2. Key Verse(s) - I Cor. 13:4-7
3. Scenario - One Pastor became so successful in supplementing his income with chickens that he moved his children out of their rooms to make room for more baby chicks. Eventually, the wife became so upset that she told her husband one morning, ``Either you get rid of those chickens or I will pack my things to my parent’s home.’’ The Pastor became so infuriated that he said, ``You stupid, hopeless, and fruitless woman, leave my house right now!’’ That Pastor was suspended for failure to love his wife.
4. Theme - Real love is enduring, not easily annoyed, and able to overcome disputes.
5. Application - The Pastor should have rearranged his priorities. He should have placed his wife and children before the chickens. I need to be careful that I keep my own priorities straight: 1). God 2). Wife 3). Children 4). Family 5). Ministry. Real love has the quality of overcoming difficulties since love is the most powerful force in the universe. It is the power by which God draws men to salvation.
6. Concluding thought - Keep out of your life all that would crowd Christ out of your priorities!
Bible Aids For Exposition
1. A Bible dictionary
2. A concordance
3. A OT & NT commentary
4. A OT & NT Word dictionary
5. A topical Bible
6. An English dictionary
7. A study Bible
8. Several effective commentaries on the individual books of the Bible.
9. A Sermon illustration book. (504 Sermon Illustrations For the Nigerian Pastor by the author)
KINDS OF EXPOSITIONAL SERMONS
I. Chapter Exposition
DEFINITION - A chapter expositional sermon seeks to describe the main themes, developments, and lessons of a chapter of the Bible.
1. Title - Describe the main contents by assigning it a caption or title. For example, ``Love, the Best Way’’ for I Cor 13 or ``Rewards & Judgment’’ from Lk. 19:11-27.
2. Contents - Summarize, describe, paraphrase, outline, or make a list of the main points of the chapter. Describe your observations and interpretations of the facts. For example, our main observations, interpretations, and correlations for Lk. 19:11-27 would be:
a. Responsibility - God entrusts us with different abilities, roles, responsibilities and holds us accountable for the faithful executions of these. Those who show faithful service will be rewarded with more responsibility and privilege. Those who fail will be punished and have their responsibilities taken away.
b. God expects results - God is not a bad businessman. He expects a return for His investment. Those who fail to be productive, bear fruits, and bring in the harvest (Souls, new churches, fruits of the spirit etc.) will be punished. Those who are productive will be proportionally honored in heaven and on earth. Maintenance mentalities will be shocked to see that they have failed in God’s eyes.
c. To whom much is entrusted from him muchwill be required - Apostasy is worse than ignorance. Those who have been given knowledge, jobs, duties, the gospel, Godly families, Biblical teaching, and the Holy Spirit are expected to produce fruits. Jesus said, ``I have ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit.’’ (Jn. 15:16) Jesus said, ``The axe is lying ready at the root of the trees, so that every tree that fails to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.’’ (Lk.3:9)
d. Balance - Jesus emphasized a balance of faithfulness with effectiveness. The man with one talent thought he was being faithful by burying his one talent, but he was not effective. The other two servants produced more with their talents and were rewarded.
e. Tests - God entrusts us with talents, money, time, energy, families, children, education, and
gifts. His tests are to determine whether a person is faithful, reliable, and competent with what he has been given. Sometimes people justify inefficiency with their overwork. God does not allow us to be overburdened if we are working by faith. (I Jn. 5:3,4) Neither will God accept excuses that the work is too tedious or unimportant. No duty given by God is insignificant. We must learn to make the most of the time for the advancement of the kingdom of God in qualitative and quantitative ways.
f. Talents - The abilities given by God are not our own. We have been bought with a price, therefore we should glorify God with our talents. We should not boast in our education, money, or positions. God sets up one and puts down another. (Psa. 75:6) Do not Lord your authority over others or you may find yourself demoted like Nebuchanezzar who was forced to eat grass like a cow in order to learn about God’s sovereign power over all.
3. Personnel - Describe the main people in the chapter and explain why they are important. For example the chief people are the three servants. Apparently, during this time there were three kings who wanted to rule over Palestine; Antipas, Herod Philip and Archelaus. Archelaus, went to Rome to persuade Augustus to allow him to become ruler. However, the Jews sent a delegation of 50 men begging Augustus not to put the tyrant on the throne. Archelaus would have been considered a man with one talent by the Jews. When Jesus told this story, everyone living in Judea would have immediately recognized the parallel to these three Roman overlords fighting for the right to rule Palestine. The story tells us both about the spiritual as well as the political affairs of life.
4. Key verse - Select the verse that best summarizes the theme for that chapter. Encourage your people to memorize it. Like Jn. 20:31, ``These things are written so that you may BELIEVE on His name.’’ In Lk. 19 the key verse would be, vs. 26. ``Everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.’’ This means that those who have produced fruit will be given more opportunities, privileges, positions, and responsibilities to produce more fruit. However, those who are lazy, unproductive, and just concerned about survival will be stripped of everything and be beaten.
5. Key word(s) - Choose the word or words that most consistently express the author’s main thought for that chapter. For example, ``believe’’ is the key word for John. It is used 63 times. For Luke 19, the key word would be ``Judge’’. The king said, ``I will JUDGE you by your own words.’’
6. Problem Passages - Write down any problems that the chapter seeks to solve or any difficulties that appear confusing. Also, are there some truths that relate to problems like taking a second wife? Use this area to answer practically from the Bible the questions that people typically have. For example, in Luke 19 the challenges would include:
a. To be faithful in the little things. (Lk.16:10)
b. Promises that we will be rewarded for our faithfulness, reliability, and productivity for the kingdom of God’s sake. We should think about the eternal and not just survival concerns in the present.
c. Purpose of living is not to accumulate riches, degrees, or honors for ourselves, but for the KING.
d. Judgment is coming for all of our works. Each person will be recompensed for each deed, word, and responsibility. In heaven and in hell there will be levels of rewards based upon our deeds done in the body. Those evil men who knew what right things to do, but failed to do them will receive many blows forever!
7. Cross-References - See what the Bible says about itself in other portions for correlative, clarificational, and contextual reasons. Perhaps, there is another related passage that sheds light on a difficult verse. For example, John 15 and Luke 16 provide us with good correlative material to show how important faithfulness and results were to Jesus Christ. He wanted to see returns from His investments in people. For Christians who think that attending church is enough to please God they are going to be sadly disappointed someday. They must realize that Jesus said, ``You will know them by their fruits!’’ Some people who are not producing Christian fruits may not even be born- again believers at all.
8. Highlights of Christ - Are there certain aspects that highlight Christ, His attributes, His works, His teachings, or His promises in the chapter. For example, does this chapter teach me anything about Christ’s love, His prayer life, or his views of marriage. For example, Christ is seen in this story as a king. He has the right to rule, to judge, to appoint, to promote, to demote, to sack, to punish, and to reward. Only Jesus Christ has these ultimate privileges, not any man. We should work whole heartedly as unto to God and not to man. (Col. 3:23)
9. Main Teaching - Record the main principles, lessons, and applications that are made from the chapter. Ask yourself, ``What does God really want to teach me and my people from this chapter?’’ For example, ``Believing in Christ is the only way to get to heaven.’’ John 3. For example, in Luke 19, the central lesson is ``To whom much is given of him much will be required.’’ If you do not use certain things you will lose them. Hoarding anything without using it for God’s purposes is self-destructive. (Warren)
10. Conclusions - Discuss how we may benefit by obeying what is written in this chapter. Draw a specific application to what you have learned. For example, I must tell my students that real faith means believing, trusting, and relying on Christ in all areas. From Lk.19 we may give of our best to the Master or He may give our duties to another more willing to obey Him.
II. Character Quality Analysis
DEFINITION - This sermon seeks to explain the nature, sources, synonyms, antonyms, cross- references, and hindrances to a particular character quality in the Bible.
1. Define the character quality - Write down several definitions of the character quality both from English and Greek/Hebrew dictionaries. We want to become more like Jesus Christ. For example, we need to have a sincere love for the brethren. (I Pet. 1:22) Sincere comes from the Latin word Sincera. This word is closely related to a Greek word that means the absence of counterfeits. Literally, the word means without wax. Apparently, when people in Christ’s day went to the market to buy pottery they would hold it up to the sun to see if the jars had any wax covering up the cracks. Unscrupulous merchants would try to cover over cracks, chips, or breaks in the clay with wax. However, a discerning buyer would be able to see right through the transparent wax when it was held up to the light.
In similar ways, when we hold our love up before the light of God’s word and His Spirit, can we also say that there is no hidden motives, no false love, and no counterfeit love. Than we can say that our love for the brethren is truly sincere!
2. Contrast the opposite quality and then compare similar words - Faith vs. doubt for instance or the opposite of love is indifference. The opposite of sincerity is pretension. Phony Christians are everywhere pretending to know Christ while at the same time belonging to secret societies. Insincerity is characteristic of people who are not honest, upright, or pure in their motives. Genuine is a similar word that means coming from a reputed source. To be genuine is to be completely without shame, falsehood, or deceit.
3. Do an original word exploration. For example in Greek repent means to do an about face or to change your direction (Metanoeo). For someone to be sincere means that he is free from deceit, double motives, and underhandedness. Sincere people are frank, forthright, and genuine.
4. Discover some correlative-references and answer some of the following questions:
a). What are the benefits of the trait? b). What are the consequences of not possessing the trait? c). Are there any promises from God regarding the trait? d). Are there any warnings regarding the practice or lack of practicing the trait? e). What people in the scriptures best personified the trait? For example, Job 24:14, Acts 2:46, I Cor, 5:8, 2 Cor. 2:7, 2 Cor. 8:8 Eph. 6:5, Col.3:22 all refer to the different dimensions of sincerity in the scriptures. (Warren, p.56, 1979)
OBSERVATIONS - Sincerity implies an absence of pretension, hypocrisy, or double-mindedness. When Peter told the Jews to have a sincere love of the brethren in I Pet. 1:22 he wanted them to love people without mixed motivations. In contrast to sincerity would be a love that manipulates. It is like the woman who married a wealthy old man for his money. When he died, the woman saw to it that none of his children received any of the inheritance money, she took it all for herself. Her love was the opposite of sincere.
INTERPRETATIONS - Sincerity means wholeheartedness. When Paul told the Colossians to work heartedly as to the Lord and not to men, he meant that we serve looking to Jesus without thought of what we can get in return. Sincerity is the quality of life which manifests itself not only in the absence of all hypocrisy, pretense or deception but also in the possession and unostentatious display of such traits as integrity, truthfulness, & genuineness. Sincerity is of the very essence of God’s dealings with mankind and of the believer’s relations with God & men.
A man may be sincerely wrong, as Paul was when he had thought he should do many things contrary to the name of Jesus (Acts 26:9). The Pharisees were generally false, shams, & just a fake imitation of God’s truth. When a person worships God he must be sincere in Spirit & in truth. (Jn.4:24) When someone witnesses he must preach Christ, not out of selfish ambition. (Phil. 1:17). When someone has fellowship with another they must have genuine brotherly love for that person regardless of what tribe he comes from. Our entire mental attitude must be as sincere as Christ’s if we are going to be like Him. (Phil. 2:5)
CORRELATIONS - Jesus condemned the insincere prayers of the Pharisees when He said, ``Do not be like the Pharisees who pray to be seen in public, I tell you they have their reward in full. But, you, when you pray, go into your inner room and pray to your Father in secret. And the one who sees in secret will repay you.’’ Sincere motives are pure, blameless, & without any phoniness. The opposite of one who prays sincerely is one who prays to be admired by men in public.
APPLICATIONS - I must seek to worship, love, teach, write, witness, & preach with complete sincerity. I must confess my sins of duplicity of motives in service. God help me to be completely pure in my motives of developing textbooks for the training of Pastors, teachers, & evangelists for all of Africa. Oh, Lord, you have the ability to help me will and to do of your good pleasure-sincerely!
EVALUATIONS - A checklist of sincerity would include: 1). Genuine 2). Truthful 3). Legitimate 4). Pure 5). Wholehearted 6). Blameless 7). Not phony 8). Not pretentious 9). Not with mixed motives 10). Willing to be corrected 11). Not ostentatious 12). Free from any deception
COMMUNICATIONS - (Here are some examples of my goals as a result of this study on sincerity)
I will try to write, preach, & teach on the whats, whys, & hows of Christian sincerity at Jos ECWA Seminary this term. Provide illustrations of both positive & negative examples of sincerity. For example, the evangelist who was willing to go to prison for her faith. When his church members offered to pay the government her fine, the police offered him her freedom. However, since, the evangelist had developed such a successful ministry in prison, she refused to leave. Eventually, the government saw that their prison was so renewed that they forced the woman out of prison less he convert the entire prison staff to Christ! That woman was a picture of sincerity!
5. Compare persons possessing similar character traits - See what people were best characterized by this trait and how. For example, Moses is an example of humility, Abraham; faith, Paul; commitment, Daniel; courage, Joseph; self- control, and Stephen sincerity.
6. Find a Summary Verse to help you and other remember the trait. For example, ``Love covers a multitude of sins.’’ Or Phil. 1:10, so that you may be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ.’’
7. Find several positive examples of the character quality where the trait can be illustrated in your situations. For example, ``This week I want to avoid criticizing my brother in front of others!’’ (Matt. 7:1,2) Or, I can show my sincerity in my conversation with my wife without trying to hide things from her. (I Tim. 1:5)
8. Start with lists of character qualities - Look at 2 Pet. 1:5-8; Phil.4:4-9; Gal. 5:22,23, I Cor. 13:4-7, Matt. 5:3-12. etc.
III. Thematic Exposition
DEFINITION - An expositional message that concentrates on explaining the central subject, principle, or topic of a passage. By asking a full dimension of informational, analytical, and applicational questions, you will gain insights into the theme.
LOOK FOR THE NATURE OF THE MAIN THEMES IN THE BIBLE
1. Select a theme that YOU want to study. Do not just pick a theme that is easy to study. Do the study because it will meet a need in the congregation. For instance, traits of the Godly (Honesty, Truthfulness, Diligence,Faith) traits of the ungodly (Deceit, Accusations, Anxiety, Greed, Hate, Envy etc), reaping what you sow, faithfulness, sanctification, promises, prayer, faith, obedience, evils of the tongue, finding God’s will, rules of marriage, etc.
2. Write down questions that you want answered about your theme such as redemption. For instance what does it mean, why is it important, how can it be applied? Who best exemplifies this theme? Where is it most often discussed? When do you need to ask forgiveness? What are the qualifications for redemption? etc. For example, if you are looking at the theme, How to Know the Will of God For Your Life, you should ask questions like: 1). What are the criteria for knowing God’s will? 2). What are the main verses that give me direction? 3). How can I tell if it is my will, others will, the devil’s will, or God’s will? 4). How can I discern the maximum will of God for my life? 5). What part does gifts play in determining the will of God? 6). How can I know if it is God’s will for me to marry a certain person? 7). What part do circumstances play in determining the will of God for my life? 8). What part does Godly counsel play? 9). What part does prayer play? 10). What part does experience play? 11). What are some hindrances to knowing the will of God? 12). What are some counterfeit ways to discern God’s will? 13). What are some errors to avoid in determining God’s will? (Warren, p. 81, 1981)
OBSERVATIONS - God’s will is best determined through the scriptures. It is a process of discernment as our minds are transformed by the word & obedience. (Rom. 12:1,2) Prayer is a helpful revealer of God’s will. (Prov. 3:5,6) Reliance on the Holy Spirit is a key in determining the best decisions to make. (Jn. 16:13) We can compare & contrast the way Paul determined God’s will & the way Peter determined God’s will in Galatians 2 3,4. Paul’s interests centered around pleasing God, while Peter was more interested in pleasing his Jewish friends.
INTERPRETATIONS - Even Jesus prayed, ``Lord take this cup from me, nevertheless not as I will, but Thy will be done.’’ God’s will often runs counter to our self will. We see how important it is to deny ourselves, take our cross daily & follow Christ. In Him is the only perfect model of one who lived by 100% of the will of God. The implication of this is that we should ask ourselves, ``How would Jesus Christ act, think, or speak in this situation? What decision would Jesus make? Why would he obey God rather than men? What priorities would Jesus follow in this set of problems? How would Jesus allow culture to influence his decisions? What factors would Jesus consider in making certain long-range goals, plans, and actions?
CORRELATIONS - Jer. 29:11 says, ``I know the plans that I have for you declares the Lord, plans for welfare & not for trouble to give you a future and a hope.’’ God’s will is always best without ultimate regrets. God expects us, at the same time, to use wisdom in discerning the best of His will for our lives. Heb. 5:14 says, ``But, solid food is for the mature who because of practice, have their senses trained to discern good & evil.’’ Following Jesus by faith we develop experience in perceiving the best from just good choices that come our way. We are assured that, ``To whom is entrusted much of him much will be required.’’ God expects us to produce good fruits in keeping with our gifts, callings, & training. God will reward each man according to his work, his motives, and his faithfulness! God’s will for one person may not be God’s will for another person as Rom. 14 teaches. Each man will give an account of himself to God. (Rom. 14:12)
APPLICATIONS - Here is an example of an application from the above theme on God’s will. I must consult several Godly counselors before I make the decision on my writing ministry. It will be a good idea to have several perspectives critique the writing in order to see that it is balanced, non- offensive, & true to the word of God.
EVALUATIONS - I must consider the following criterion whenever I need to make a decision:
1). The Bible 2). Godly counselors 3). Prayer 4). God’s promises 5). Circumstances 6). Peace 7). Experiences 8). Glory to God? 9). Greatest contribution to the cause of Christ 10). Efficiency 11). Effectiveness 12). Cultural sensitivity 13). Identification 14). Help the church grow qualitatively & quantitatively 15). Priorities etc.
COMMUNICATIONS - Here is an example of how I plan to communicate the lessons learned from this study on God’s will. I plan to write a small pamphlet on ``How To Know the Will of God in Nigeria.’’ This must be written in a contextual format that will minister in a relevant, appropriate, & culturally illustrative way!
3. Select verses that you intend to study on the theme. Get these verses from a concordance or a topical Bible. Look at the cross-references in your own Bible. (Warren p. 77, 1981)
4. Ask your questions of each of the references. Begin to compare and contrast your findings from different verses.
5. Form your conclusions about the principles of your themes. For example, God’s will is determined when: a). We are sure it will bring glory to God. b). We are sure it will help us and others become more like Christ. c). We are sure we are obedient to the scriptures d). We have received affirmative advice from Godly counselors e). We have peace when we pray about it f). We are doing it by faith g). We are certain it will help build the kingdom of God quantitatively & qualitatively. h). We are sure it will contribute to winning people to Christ and bringing maturity to others i). We will not be ashamed of the decisions when we stand
before the judgment seat of Christ!
6. Describe some personal uses or illustrations to these themes in our present situations and problems. For example, I am confident that God wants me to help start a new church (English section) in my area despite the opposition from some of elders!
7. General knowledge about the theme. Information from psychology, education, law, politics, management, science, arts, the social sciences etc. may have some wisdom to reflect
