Homiletics Study Pt 3

Our aim is to have the primary message of the Scripture text come through as the primary message of the sermon.

The skill we want to strengthen is this: constructing an interpretive bridge for bringing the truth off the text to its expression in the sermon.

We will use four related sentences to bridge that chasm.

Textual idea

Sermon idea

Interrogative

Transition

The Textual Idea: the core idea of the text worded as subject/complement and stated as a complete, past-tense sentence.

It contains reference to certain historical elements associated with the text—writer and readers, persons in the narrative account, circumstances or occasion of writing, special literary features.

The Sermon Idea: the same subject/complement as core of the textual idea, worded as present-tense, universal statement, without the historical elements of the textual idea.

The Interrogative: the sermon idea translated into a question by the use of one of the following: who, what, when, where, why, how.

It calls for the predicates (major ideas) revealed in the text writer’s treatment of his theme.

The Transitional Sentence: answers the interrogative by the introduction of a key word which categorizes the various predicates found in the text and introduces them as sermon divisions.

Practical Example: John 3:1-8

John 3:1–8 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Steps:

Block diagram

Observations

Study questions

Naming the textual idea

Subject / Complement

What is the subject of John 3:1-8?

“Born again” remove the figurative language and instead call the subject: Regeneration

What is the complement? How does Jesus limiting his teaching about regeneration? Necessity

Subject/Compliment- Regeneration/Necessity

Working title? The Necessity of Regeneration

The Textual Idea: Jesus explained to Nicodemus the necessity of regeneration in the kingdom of God.

Textual idea includes:

The name of the writer (Jesus / Paul / Moses / etc…)

The name of the recipients (Nicodemus / Saints in Ephesus / Israelites / etc…)

Worded in past tense: explained, not Jesus is explaining to Nicodemus, word in past tense.

The core idea of your textual idea will be your subject/complement.

You are naming the major idea of your text in a single sentence.

What was the major message that Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand in this paragraph?

You can play with the wording!

Jesus wanted Nicodemus to understand the necessity of regeneration in relation to the kingdom of God.

Be concise and clear!

The Sermon Idea: Regeneration is necessary in the kingdom of God.

Sermon idea is a simple and direct statement that is the basic truth of the text and, therefore, the basic truth of my sermon.

The key to keeping that truth intact across the hermeneutical distance is to use the exact words of the subject/complement for the textual idea and the sermon idea.

The sermon idea is a universal principle that applies to everyone who might hear it, instead of a particular message to the writer’s audience.

It is a timeless truth that can be stated confidently in any generation, instead of a historical statement for the biblical world.

Thus it is stated in present tense language as a universal theological principle.

The Interrogative: Why is regeneration necessary in the kingdom of God?

In the interrogative you are simply restating the sermon idea as an interrogative- that is you make a question out of your sermon idea.

You look at your text and decide which of these questions best fits: who, what, when, where, why, or how.

Examples:

Who needs regeneration in the kingdom of God? Does it fit with your text?

What is the regeneration that is necessary in the kingdom of God? Does it fit with your text?

Why is regeneration necessary in the kingdom of God? Seems to fit.

John 3:5 ESV

5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Your interrogative question will naturally form the major points of your sermon! Why is regeneration necessary in the kingdom of God? One of the answers Jesus gives in the text is that without regeneration you cannot even enter the kingdom of God.

The Transition Sentence: This morning we are going to look at three reasons why regeneration is necessary in the kingdom of God.

Your main task in formulating your transition sentence is to find the right KEY WORD.

The key word is a plural, abstract noun which names a category to classify the predicates, your sermon divisions. The question you choose as your interrogative will usually lead you easily to the appropriate key word.

Interrogative: Why? Key Word: Reasons

Other examples: Truths, Examples, Commands, Arguments, Habits, Instructions, etc…

Do not use “Things” as a key word. Why?

Do not use “points” as a key word. Why?

Completing the Exercise

STEP 1: Identify the subject of the text in one word

STEP 2: Identify the compliment

STEP 3: State your subject/compliment together as a working title for the emerging sermon.

STEP 4: Write the textual idea statement as the first of the four bridging sentences.

STEP 5: Write the sermon idea by rewording the basic statement of the textual idea without the historical language.

STEP 6: Write the interrogative- which is a restatement of the sermon idea as a question.

STEP 7: Answer the question raised above with the transition sentence.

STEP 8: List the predicates in the text which indicate what the writer is saying about his subject.