Chapter five titled The Arrow and the Target in the book Biblical Preaching, published by Baker Academic and written by Haddon Robinson focus on formulating the homiletical idea and determining the sermon’s purpose. Knowing what the target in sermon preparation is and uses arrows to hit that target by asking the right question that the sermon may connect with the hearers regardless of their knowledge or experience. Stating the exegetical idea in a complete sentence that communicate to listeners is the homiletical idea. The homiletical idea must be clear and precise language that the audience can clearly understand. The homiletical idea is the Biblical truth applied to life (pg.72). This paper will discuss the homiletical idea, measurable results, and purpose in brief detail.
According to Haddon one should submit the exegetical idea and its development to the three developmental questions:
• What does this mean?
• Is this true? Do I believe it?
• Do what? What difference does this make?
These questions deal with meaning, validity, and
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implication of any idea. These question should be addressed to the main idea, supporting ideas, and details of the passage (pg.66-67). These questions help you decide what supporting materials is needed to relay the message of your text to the hearers. Haddon explains and summarizes each of these questions in the chapter and encourages preachers to work through each of the questions carefully. He explains that one will see the general direction the sermon should go in and what one must deal with in the sermon (pg69). Another thing that Haddon states is, “Homiletical Idea is the statement of a biblical concept in such a way that it accurately reflects the Bible and meanfully relates to the congregation” (pg80). Biblical truth is what need to come to life for the hearers that it can be applied to their lives. The congregation should leave with some idea implanted in their head from the sermon that can be applied to their lives daily. This should be something that can be remembered by the listeners and pointed at them. Haddon describes this in the chapter and list several ways to state the idea that is helpful to me. The one that captured my attention was stating the idea so that it focus on response. When you know what the listeners should do from the Biblical truth tell them to do that. For example if there is a verb in the text like rejoice, or pray for those who despitefully use you, tell the audience to do that. The sermon should get the audience into action and to apply the Biblical truth to their lives. Next Haddon describes measurable results as the purpose of the sermon stated in terms of observable behavior (pg80). I like the way the author explained the different ways to get measurable results. He gave several bullet points on how purpose stated in measurable terms that was helpful to me. The listeners should understand several key thing about the Scriptures and their faith enabling them to be written out in descriptive statements. For example justification, names of non-Christians, or spiritual gifts listeners should be able to identify some of these terms or people in the Bible. Next Haddon says, “Purpose is what one expects to happen in the hearer as a result of hearing this sermon (pg.72). Asking some important questions in the exegesis helps you to understand the purpose behind the passage you are preaching. An expository sermon should be in line with Biblical Truth and aim to accomplish what God wants hearers to know today. The preacher has to make the Word of God come to life for the hearers through the help of the Holy Spirit. Purpose statement describes our route and destination, then lets us know we have arrived. The purpose behind each individual sermon is to secure some moral action. Haddon quotes A.W.
Tozer who said, “There is scarcely anything so dull and meaningless as Bible doctrine taught for its own sake. Truth divorced from life is not truth in its Biblical sense, but something else and something less….No man is better for knowing that God in the beginning created heaven and the earth. The devil knows that, and so did Ahab and Judas Iscariot. No man is better for knowing that God so loved the world of men that he gave His only begotten Son to die for their redemption. In hell there are millions who know that. Theological truth is useless until it is obeyed. The purpose behind all doctrine is to secure moral action”. I agree that truth not applied is just truth and useless until applied or put in action. Tozer stated people in hell who know God so loved the world that he gave His Son. How is that people in hell know this and some on earth with breathe in their body does not apply this
truth. In conclusion the expository sermon should give action items and Biblical truth to the hearers that the audience will be challenged to make a change. The three developmental questions should be asked and answered to determine if there is a sermon to be preached. The homiletical idea is biblical truth to be drawn from ideas of scripture. Every sermon should have a purpose when preached or its just information being presented. The preacher should be able to relate to and answer the questions of the different worlds we live in. Asking and answering the right questions helps measure and expose purpose to the hearers. Knowing and asking the right questions is vital for communicating and getting the audience to action. We have many tools at our finger tips to prepare and we should use them to prepare expository sermons to be effective for the hearers of today.
DS9010 Research Methods and Design Aung, James Hatun Summary (Yaghjian, Chapter 1) January 24, 2013 Lucretia B. Yaghjian’s book, “Writing Theology Well: A Rhetoric for Theological and Biblical Writers” consists of three parts. The first part contains four chapters, the second part has two chapters and the third part has four chapters.
In the book “The Art of Biblical Narrative” by Robert Alter, there is one chapter (Chapter 3) titled “Biblical Type-Scenes and the Uses of Convention” (Alter 47). Alter describes several different stories (but similar in some ways) in the Old Testament that can be difficult to interpret in today’s culture. Alter describes how reading any book (more specifically the Bible), requires use of conventions, which he describes as “… an elaborate set of tacit agreements between artist and audience about the ordering of the art work is at all times the enabling context in which the complex communication of art occurs” (Alter 47). In other words, an agreement of how the writing is done; it can be pretty complex as well. He states that there are stories in the Bible that have the same stories of narrative, but there are different characters, they often are told several times in the Bible. Alter uses several of examples, like how patriarch is driven by famine; or where someone is found and is invited to eat with them, or a betrothal (engagement) near a well/body
When looking at the common theme that Barth develops in God Here and Now, it becomes apparent for the need of congregation to justify, ratify, and promote the Bible as the living word of God. When and where the Bible constitutes its own authority and significance, it mediates the very presence of God through the congregation. Encountering this presence in the Church, among those whose lives presume living through the Bible’s power and meaning. Barth states that the Bible must become God's Word and this occurs only when God wills to address us in and through it. The Christ-event is God's definitive self-disclosure, while Scripture and preaching are made to correspond to him as a faithful witness becomes the perfect statement according to Barth (Barth, 2003, p. 61).
N.T Wright (2008) stated that “When we read the scriptures as Christians, we read it precisely as people of the new covenant and of the new creation” (p.281). In this statement, the author reveals a paradigm of scriptural interpretation that exists for him as a Christian, theologian, and profession and Bishop. When one surveys the entirety of modern Christendom, one finds a variety of methods and perspectives on biblical interpretation, and indeed on the how one defines the meaning in the parables of Jesus. Capon (2002) and Snodgrass (2008) offer differing perspectives on how one should approach the scriptures and how the true sense of meaning should be extracted. This paper will serve as a brief examination of the methodologies presented by these two authors. Let us begin, with an
loved us so much that he did that for us so that is the least that we could
So Tozer rejected the false logic which says: if you have found God in Christ you need no more seek him. I reject that, too. And I join Tozer in replacing it with these words, "To have found God and still to pursue him is the soul's paradox of love, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, but justified in happy experience by the children of the burning heart" (p. 15). Or as St. Bernard sang it:
Much of Jesus’ teaching was through parables, which he utilized as a method of illustrating insightful and divine truths. Biblical scholar Madeleine Boucher informs audiences that “the importance of the parables can hardly be overestimated (Boucher, 1977).” Rather than representing simple anecdotes, each parable displays a deeper meaning. Comprehending the Gospel Parables requires an understanding of the definition of a parables, Jesus’ reason for speaking in parables, and the purpose of parables.
The Bible student, laymen, or pastor will find the principles presented by Fee and Stuart helpful despite the weaknesses presented. The author’s contribution on how to interpret each of the different genres is especially beneficial. The Bible Student will have more knowledge of how to interpret God’s Word when finished with the work. Fee and Stuart achieve their goal helping the reader not only with interpretation, but with application.
Ashby, William Brent, and Benjamin Galan. 24 Ways to Explain the Gospel. Torrance: Rose Publishing, 2009. Print.
The Sermon on the Mount was intend for an audience familiar with Jewish laws, including the laws of marriage and involved extensive quoting of the Hebrew Bible and poetry. Jesus rework the Law/Torah throughout chapters five, six and seven in Matthew. Chapter 5 begins with Jesus going to the crowd on top of the mountain and blessing several different thing (Matthew 5:11-12). In verses 13-16, Jesus compares people with being salt of the earth and the light of the world. Jesus clearly states that he is not “abolishing" the laws but has came to “fulfill” them (Matthew 5:17).
The Sermon on the Mount was one of the greatest sermons Jesus ever preached to his followers. When Jesus delivered this sermon, He was on a mountain near Capernaum. The sermon includes the Lord's Prayer, the beatitudes, and the golden rule are in this sermon. Beatitudes are the blessings Jesus spoke during His sermon.
First and foremost, I will always be focused on the fact that it is my responsibility as a teacher to “cause my students to learn”. I cannot teach my students content unless I have prayed and asked God for illumination and for an “appliers heart”. It is important that I understand the content and application before I teach this to my students which should result in a life change for them. Application is the main reason for God’s revelation and it is my responsibility to share this with my students. My ultimate goal is to illustrate how scripture can be used in daily
Using this method, he successfully engages the congregation through descriptive narratives and relating ideas to current times. As part of the narratives he includes descriptive biblical stories beginning with the story in his text, claiming it as a “scary story”. He further re-enforces this scary story concept by sharing two more biblical passages where a scary story exists. These biblical narratives are the beginning of what Wilson would call the second page of the sermon where the trouble in the text is given. This of course was preceded by his first page that discussed the idea of having scary stories in our lives today (trouble in the world) by using a vivid personal illustration. He continues to use vivid illustrations to hammer in his focus on the church needing to be friends to the downtrodden because God responds that way. He designs the third page to share the Gospel in the text reminding us that God responds to continual injustice by sending his son to be the friend that everyone needs. The one who stands up for injustice and never leaves your side. Finally, he concludes with the fourth page by demonstrating how churches can live the gospel in the world today. They do this through friendships with people in their surrounding community whose stories might be
Then they must ask God, “what is it Lord that you will have me to say?” They should allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the answer. We should not use Scripture to support out thoughts, our philosophy and our reasoning. As soon as we begin to preach something outside of the Word of God, we lose our authority. In other words, God is no longer in the message and only the words of a man is glorified. This is why we should approach the Word using a childlike attitude. The goal is to glorify God in our preaching. We should allow the sermon to preach to us first before we preach it to the congregation. This means that the sermon needs to be incarnational. In other words our sermons should serves as a mirror. A mirror where we first see our own reflection and make adjustments and then reflect it back to the
It is important for me to remember when preparing a sermon, that it is not about the preacher, but through preaching, God the Holy Spirit does the work of giving God’s