Preparing

A Short Expository Sermon

An introduction
to
Expository Preaching
Part 1
EXEGESIS
*
PCJB
PP Presentation
devised and prepared
at
Gujranwala Theological Seminary
may be copied for non-commercial use only
June 2005
 Why PowerPoint?

• Clarity of outline
Central formatting
Use few words per frame
One unit of thought to each line

• Ease of editing / manipulating text

• Force of impact
 This Presentation…

• Is prepared for use in the classroom

(using a multimedia projector beamed onto a
white wall or screen; or a wide screen monitor
for small groups (2-10))
• Can be easily adapted by the teacher
• Allows for class interaction with the text
(using the edit mode for class suggestions,
e.g. for “best” lay out of the Scripture text)
Expository Preaching

involves
EXEGESIS
(study of the text
done in the study)
and
EXPOSITION
(exposure of its meaning
presented in the pulpit)
Exegesis and Exposition

EXEGESIS
can be viewed as
the process of preparing for
a proper EXPOSITION

It involves
CAREFUL OBSERVATION
at each step of the process
 PREPARATION
(In the Study)

The steps involved

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

Exegesis
of
Luke 2:39-40
The Preacher’s Big Question

How do I preach
in such a way that
people walk out from church
saying,
“This morning I have heard from
God?”
 J.I.Packer’s response…

“I can only say that

you must have heard from God
before you start preaching,
so that
something of what you have heard
and the impact it has had on you
gets relayed into
what you are actually saying.”
 PRAY…
• For God to speak to you in your
preparation
• For His Spirit to guide your thoughts
as you expose His Word
• For Jesus to be glorified through this
study and subsequent exposition
Luke 2:39-40 The TEXT

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.
Exegesis
Step 1

Note
the GENRE
(the kind of literature)
of the passage:
The style / form of writing used by the writer
(e.g. Narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, letter, etc)
Step 1 GENRE

Gospel Narrative

Note: “Gospel“ because the writer includes

interpretative remarks in the narrative
that point to why the narrative is
Good News!
Exegesis
Step 2
Rewrite the passage
as a list of
the UNITS of THOUGHT*
or
IDEAS contained
(* each sentence / clause / phrase
that gives additional meaning)
Step 2 UNITS of THOUGHT

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.
Exegesis
Step 3
Observe
the STRUCTURE
of the passage

SHAPE the Text to show:

the relationship of the different parts
Step 3 STRUCTURE

Rewrite the passage to show

the SHAPE of its STRUCTURE,
using:
– one line for each unit of thought
– indention to relate the units to
each other
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.

Exegesis
Step 4
Analyse
the CONTENT
of the passage
Asking the Questions:
Who is doing What?
Where?
When?
Why?
How?
Step 4:1 The CONTENT:
People

WHO
are the people
spoken of in this passage?
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.

People In This Passage

• Mary and Joseph (“they“)

• Jesus (“the child“)
• God
Step 4:2 CONTENT:
Action

What is HAPPENING?
What are they DOING?
(The Events / Activities)
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.
People In This Passage are...

• Finishing a requirement
• Returning home
• Developing
• Blessing others
Step 4:3 CONTENT:
Where & How?

Answering the questions:

Where?
– In the Temble at Jerusalem (context)
– To Galilee and their own town of
Nazareth
When?
– Returned after first doing all that the
law of the Lord required
 Asking the Questions
&
Using the Bible Aids:

Note:
• Not every Question has an answer that can
be found in the text each time
(e.g. Why? & How? have no answers in this passage)

• Not every type of Bible Aid is needed each

time either
Step 4:4 CONTENT:
Topics
Topics include:
• People involved
• Activities / Events
• Ideas / Principles

What are
the main TOPICS?
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
Exegesis
Step 5

Decide
the over-all SUBJECT
of the passage

• This subject should cover all the topics dealt

with in the passage, not just the obvious ones
Step 5 Over-all SUBJECT

• Mary and Joseph?

• Jesus?
• God ?
All put together
=
The Family
of
Jesus
Exegesis
Step 6

Identify
the TEACHING
about the over-all SUBJECT
Select related teaching only
(Not everything that is taught in the passage!)
Step 6 TEACHING
about the Subject

What does this tell us about

the overall subject:
The Family
of
Jesus ?
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.
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.

Exegesis
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 also refer to:
• The canonical context
(The context of the whole of Scripture)
This answers the questions:
• Is my interpretation of the passage
consistent with Biblical teaching?
• What light does the rest of Scripture
throw on this passage?
 CONTEXT

It may also refer to:

• The historical, cultural and geographical

context,
i.e. the background of the time and place
in which the passage was written (or to
which it refers)
 Background Study

generally requires the use of

Bible Aids.
These can provide two sorts of information:
1. Related material found elsewhere in Scripture
conveniently collected together
2. Information only found outside the Bible
 Using Bible Aids
• Concordances - to discover what other
biblical passages say on the same theme /
subject passages

• Bible Dictionaries - for more information on

a word / subject / person

• Bible Atlases - to locate places mentioned

• Commentaries - for other interpretations and
further insights about the content and authorship
 Using Bible Aids

• Concordances (to discover what other

biblical passages say on the same
theme / subject):
– List key words in alphabetical order
– Record instances where such words
appear in other biblical passages
(using Bible references)
 Using Bible Aids

Note:
Do your own initial study of the passage
before consulting any study aids.
(Resist the temptation to take short cuts!)
Exegete Verse 39
Background and Context

What did the Law of the Lord require of

them?

We need to consult a commentary here.

We might turn to John Nolland’s comments
in the Word Biblical Commentary…
Note on Commentaries:

Commentaries vary in their emphasis

Preachers consult commentaries for:

• Background
• Application
• Character Studies
• Exegesis
 Commentary

“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.
 Background & Context

What did the Law of the Lord require of

them?
From this Commentary we learn:
a) That Mary had to purify herself by
offering two sacrifices in the Temple
b) That Mary made a payment for the birth
of her first-born (a reminder of Israel’s
redemption from Egypt)
 Theological Background

Note:
Exegesis of a different passage
might benefit from:
A study of significant WORDS in the text
(A Bible Dictionary and a Concordance would be
helpful here)
 Geographical Background

A Bible Atlas would show where Nazareth was in

relationship to Jerusalem

How relevant would such information be

for our understanding of the passage
in this instance?
Exegesis
Step 8

Expose
the original HEART-BEAT
(the core message)
of the passage
Step 8 HEART-BEAT

In your own words

what is the central message
of the passage
- its “heart-beat“?
The HEART-BEAT

Making obedience to God‘s law

a family priority
precedes God‘s blessing
Exegesis
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 -

Hannah, and Eli, Etc.
 Summary of 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
 Summary of Preparation (cont)

5. Find the over-all SUBJECT of the Passage

6. Identify the TEACHING about this over-all Subject
7. Check the CONTEXT
8. Expose the original HEART-BEAT of the Passage
9. Apply the Heart-Beat (The LESSON for us today)
The END
of
Part 1